July 11, 2014
Six Great Lakes Bay Region nurses honored at SVSU awards ceremony
Saginaw Valley State University recently honored six regional health care professionals during the fourth annual Nursing Excellence Awards event Wednesday, May 28.
The ceremony recognizes the dedication, service and leadership shown by local nurses in clinical practice, education, leadership and community service. Recipients earned a $300 prize and a Waterford crystal bowl.
A selection committee comprised of regional health care leaders and SVSU faculty chose this year's recipients.
Awards and recipients include the following:
Acute Care Nursing Awards
• Mary Haley, staff nurse at St. Mary's of Michigan, was recognized for her efforts in patient safety and quality of service. “Mary cares for each of her patients as if they were a grandparent,” her nomination letter reads.
• Steve Laporte, staff nurse at MidMichigan Medical Center, has worked with the medical center's cardiothoracic surgeons in initiatives decreasing the number of surgery-related blood transfusions.
Nursing Education Awards
• Hall Hewett, nurse educator at Covenant HealthCare, was nominated in part for leadership in the campaign to raise awareness about sepsis, a whole-body inflammation caused by severe infection.
• Mary Gay Showalter, nurse educator at McLaren Bay Region, was recognized in part for her role in developing the McLaren Bay Region Preceptor Program. The initiative helps retain nurses in the region.
Community Nursing Award
• Cindy Thornton, a nurse with MidMichigan Home Care, was honored for her work in aiding patients. "She is dedicated to the profession, her patients, her colleagues and her professional role," her nomination letter reads.
Long-term Care and Rehabilitation Nursing Award
• Kelly Miceli, a nurse with St. Mary's of Michigan, was nominated in part for her initiative in improving the hospital's rehabilitation unit. She added furniture, decorations and signage with inspirational quotes to rooms there.
In all, 88 people attended the ceremony honoring the nurses. The event's keynote speaker was Carol Stoll, vice president for patient services and chief nursing officer at Covenant HealthCare.